Yimakan is an important part of the worldview and historical memory of the Hezhe people in northeastern China. Narrated in the Hezhe language, Yimakan uses poetry and prose and consists of many independent pieces that describe tribal alliances and wars, including stories of Hezhe heroes defeating demons and invaders. This oral tradition emphasizes the protection of ethnic identity and territorial integrity, and also preserves traditional knowledge about shamanic rituals, fishing and hunting. Yimakan performers improvise stories without instrumental accompaniment, alternating between singing and speaking, and using different melodies to represent different characters and plots. Although more and more outsiders can become Yimakan apprentices today, they are usually trained in a master-apprentice manner within the tribe and family. Since the Hezhe people have no writing system, Yimakan plays an important role in preserving their mother tongue, religion, beliefs, legends and customs. However, with the acceleration of modernization and the standardization of school education, the mother tongue of the Hezhe people is on the verge of extinction. Currently, only the elderly can speak their mother tongue. This loss has become a major obstacle to the promotion and sustainable development of the Yimakan oral tradition. Today, there are only five rap masters who can perform their repertoire, several senior rap artists have passed away, and young people have left their hometowns to work in cities, which has exacerbated the deterioration of the inheritance and practice of Imakan.